1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to molded sanitaryware articles, particularly although not exclusively domestic baths, to a method of manufacturing such articles, and to a bath or other molded article installation.
2. Description of Prior Art
Baths were traditionally made of cast iron but, in recent times, they have also been made of pressed steel and of various types of plastics or resin material, including glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) and acrylic material. In the latter cases, the article is built up on a mold former or is shaped by using a vacuum-forming technique. Other molded products have been made in similar ways, for example, shower trays, washbasins and bath panels. In all such cases, the material of the finished articles forming the walls, bottom and other surfaces have been opaque, or effectively opaque in use of the article.
It has been proposed to incorporate in a composite wall, a bath or other molded article, a decorative layer applied to a coating which is itself applied to a mold, and then covering the decorative layer with a second coating, at least one of the coatings being transparent or translucent so as to obtain a decorative effect. In practice, such a construction would need to be reinforced with a further backing layer which is normally near to being opaque.